About Jim Kitts
I’m an operator and an engineer. For 25+ years, I’ve run warehouses, designed them, automated them, and fixed them when they broke, across North America, Central America, Europe, and Asia.
What I’ve done
- Staples: led a $4M turnaround of a 35,000-order-a-day e-commerce fulfillment center in one year. Productivity went from 9 to 17 UPH, and safety went from one of the worst sites in the network to one of the best.
- Ingram Micro: as Director of Global Automation & Engineering, launched automated fulfillment centers and led $100M+ in capital programs.
- iHerb: as Director of Operations and later Senior Director of Engineering, led automation launches that helped scale the business past $1 billion in sales.
- Kohl’s: as Director of Operations, designed and ran a million-square-foot e-commerce fulfillment center.
- TOMS and Prince Tennis: launched retail replenishment programs.
How I work
I look at a building two ways: through the data and on the floor. The numbers tell you where the problem shows up. The floor tells you why. Most struggling operations don’t need new technology first. They need clear standards, the right leaders, and a plan the team can own. When capital is the answer, I know how to justify it, design it, and launch it.
What drives me
Helping people achieve results they didn’t think were possible. I’ve learned from mentors who guided me and leaders who pushed me to think bigger, and those lessons shape how I lead: build scalable systems, create great places to work, and keep improving.
I hold a BS in Industrial & Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech, with a background in Lean Six Sigma, WMS development, and systems integration.
Warehouse Whisper is where I share what I’ve learned: practical tools and real-world lessons for warehouse leaders.
